Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder and 20% of the adult population in the world suffers from this disorder. Nearly 2 to 3% of children are also victims of this disease. The victims wake up several times during the course of their night sleep. Sometimes they snore and then tend to wake up. This is accompanied by breathlessness. Normal breathing is resumed after difficulty.

Patients of sleep apnea and their partners and family members need not lose heart. Treatment for this sleep disorder is available. Everyone knows about the age-old adage – “knowledge is power.” This is applicable for sleep apnea as well. You should be well aware about the sleep apnea resources that are available on the web along with newsletters and publications. Once you refer to these invaluable resources, you get better armed with knowledge about the disease, its symptoms and treatment facilities. You can also spread the awareness among the people around you. In this article, we would tell you about some of the best sleep apnea resources available.

American Sleep Apnea Association (www.sleepapnea.org)

The American Sleep Apnea Foundation is a non-profit organization that spreads awareness about the disease and serves people suffering from the disease. The organization is dedicated to reduce injury, disability and untimely death from sleep apnea. Their website is one of the best sleep apnea resources in the web. The resources that the website provides can be classified as under:

• Books (collates books on sleep apnea from Amazon.com)
• Publications (free for use)
• Brochures (free reference material, can also be ordered for distribution)
• Video clips
• Links to other website resources on sleep apnea, research sites, journals, and medical newsletters.

www.sleepnet.com

www.sleepnet.com is a comprehensive website that discourses about sleep disorders, including sleep apnea. The SnoozePaper provides newer and interesting facts about the sleep disorder community. There are various forums linked with this website as well that discusses sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.

www.sleepApneaInfo.com

www.sleepApneaInfo.com is a highly popular web resource among sufferers of sleep apnea. The site has a campaign – “Sleep well, be healthy”. The site is specifically vocal about Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). It has a mission to improve the lives of 18 million Americans suffering from OSA. The “Sleep well, be healthy” council has several eminent physicians on its rolls.  These physicians volunteer to serve as advisors to sleep apnea patients and their near and dear ones. This resourceful website is rich in resources like:

• Sleep Links – Useful links about organizations and advocacy groups that work for OSA sufferers
• Facts About Sleep Apnea – This gives you several facts and figures to establish the spread and extent of OSA.
• Sleep Dictionary – If you are perplexed about the jargons associated OSA, this is the page you should visit. The sleep jargons are explained lucidly so that you can easily explore other web resources and forums.
• Published Survey Results – This page showcases a library of research papers on sleep apnea.
• Sleep Survey Results – Several surveys have been made about sleep disorders in general and sleep apnea in particular. This page is a treasure house of such surveys. The surveys underscore the importance of adequate sleep and the dangers associated with the lack of sleep.
• Sleep Lab Locator – If you feel the need to know about laboratories in your locality that test occurrences of sleep apnea, then this page will be of interest to you.
• Clinical Trial Site Locator – If you are interested to participate in clinical trials for medications against sleep apnea, then this page will help you to locate a site near to you.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (www.sleepeducation.com)

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) underscores the need for everybody to have a disturbance-free, adequate sleep. They have put up an information-rich website www.sleepeducation.com dealing with sleep disorders including sleep apnea. In this site you can learn about the complex chain of processes that are associated with sleeping and valuable information on sleep hygiene, case studies, sleep quiz etc.

AASM was founded in 1975. Today, it is a professional medical association consisting of physicians, researchers, students and other healthcare providers. The association is dedicated to the welfare of victims of sleep disorder and to spread awareness about the inconsequence of lack of sleep.

Resource Links:

www.sleepeducation.com

www.sleepApneaInfo.com

www.sleepnet.com

www.sleepapnea.org